State highway officials say they'll start a six-month study early next year into the feasibility of an alternative route around an eight-acre sinkhole in northern Assumption Parish.
The Advocate says the study is the initial step the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development takes to consider a proposed highway.
DOTD spokesman Dustin Annison says the study will determine if "the route could be built in the affected area in the event that Louisiana 70 is compromised."
Louisiana 70 carries an estimated 6,000 cars a day and cuts through isolated swamp and is a key connector between some areas.
The sinkhole is believed to have been caused by a failed Texas Brine Co. LLC cavern in the Napoleonville Dome.